Total Body Strengthening and Toning Workstation and Method of Using Same

ABSTRACT

A stand-alone exercise apparatus includes a seat to support a user in a position thereon, and upper and lower body exercising assemblies which are configured for activation either sequentially or simultaneously to permit the concurrent exercising movement of his or her upper body area and lower body leg muscles, respectively, without necessitating that the user stop exercising when switching from upper body exercises to lower body exercises. The lower body exercising assembly includes a lower frame assembly which is operable to provide resistance exercise to the user&#39;s leg muscles, and which includes a selectively reciprocally movable pedal, platform or bar which is coupled to a suitable resistance mechanism, and which is engagable by the user&#39;s feet and/or legs as they are moved together in unified movement to effect leg extensions or curls. The upper body exercising assembly includes one or more reciprocally movable frame members, hand pulleys or swing arms coupled to a resistance mechanism, and which are engagable by the user&#39;s hands and/or arms. The resistance mechanisms used to provide the selected resistance to the upper and lower exercising assemblies are operable independently from each other, and enable the user to select the degree of resistance to each of the upper and lower body exercising assemblies separately.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of prior U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/067,634, entitled Total BodyStrengthening and Toning Workstation and Method of Using Same, filedJun. 16, 2011; and which is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/149,631, now U.S. patent No. 7,985,167 B2entitled Total Body Strengthening and Toning Workstation and Method ofUsing Same, filed May 6, 2008 as a continuation-in-part of abandonedU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/233,064, filed 23 Sep. 2005, andentitled “Total Body Strengthening and Toning Workstation and Method ofUsing Same”; and which claims the benefit of priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/630,208, filed Nov. 24, 2004,pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e).

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus and method of itsuse for providing resistance training exercise movements, and moreparticularly an exercise apparatus which provides support andbiomechanical positioning during various simultaneously or sequentiallyexercises using the upper body, lower body and core muscles. Theexercise device allows for a multitude of upper body exercisesconcurrent with leg press or double leg lunge movements during safe andaligned total body movements, that allow for high intensity exercises tooptimally burn calories and develop lean muscle mass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently the two major methods of resistance training to achieve bodystrengthening and toning are isolation and functional training.Isolation training involves exercises that target muscles of a specificand individual region of the body such as upper body, lower body, orcore. The objective with this type of training is to focus only onspecific muscles to develop their strength and/or hypertrophy (bulk).While specific muscle groups are worked in isolation, the unused musclegroups are immobile and secured. In contrast, functional traininginvolves exercises that simulate real life situations by incorporatinguser defined movements that utilize muscles of several regions of thebody simultaneously. These exercises are generally performed in a freestanding position and without back support to encourage the use of coremuscles to provide stabilization while the extremities are beingexercised in a coordinated manner. In these types of free standingexercises, the amount of workload that can be sustained during exerciseis less than with the isolation method of training due to the increasedchance for injuries. For example, when an isolation exercise such asbench press is performed with the user lying on a bench, the chest cantake on a greater workload than compared to a functional exercise thatalso targets the chest such as push-ups. With functional training, asthe workload during exercise is reduced, the amount of calories burnedand overall muscles development is also reduced.

Although isolation and functional methods are ideally suited forspecific fitness objectives, they are inefficient where the primaryfitness objective is to use resistance training to burn the maximumamount of calories in the least amount of time, while developing leanmuscle mass.

Historically, when resistance training machines were first introduced inthe 1950's, the majority of participants were bodybuilders who primarilyfocused on isolation training to build bulk and achieve muscledefinition. Since then resistance training machines have generallycontinued to focus on the isolation method type of training. Withconventional exercise equipment, it has been necessary for fitness clubsto purchase a number of separate exercise machines, each tailored topermit a user to exercise a specific upper, lower or core muscle group.In addition, conventional isolation exercise equipment does not lenditself to the benefits of fuller body exercises, which encourage musclecoordination and the development of core muscles, such as abdominal orback muscles. In addition, performing repetitions using only one regionof the body for an extended period of time can be monotonous, andtypically does not allow for opportunities to “mix up” exercises as withupper body and lower body in simultaneous or sequential patterns ofmovement. Increased variety during exercise advantageously enhances theenjoyment of use of the equipment, encouraging the user to workout moreintently to achieve the most benefit from each visit to the workstation.In addition to the increased cost and space requirements associated withpurchasing a number of different exercise machines, conventionalexercise apparatus suffer the disadvantage in that more time is requiredfor users to complete a full exercise regime, particularly during peakperiods at gyms.

Certain exercise equipment manufacturers have proposed “multi-function”or universal exercise machines which use a series of pulleys to connectboth movable upper and lower body exercising frames to a singleresistance mechanism. Such machines are most frequently marketed forin-home use, and continue to suffer the disadvantage that they areadapted to provide resistance exercise to only a single muscle group atany one time. Typically, conventional “multi-function” exercise machinesnecessitate that the user physically reposition one or more tensioningbands, release pins or pulleys, to selectively connect and disconnectupper and lower equipment frames when switching between upper and lowerbody exercises. Like existing commercial isolation machines, thesemulti-function exercise machines continue to focus on the exercise ofsingle muscle groups at any one time as part of a weight trainingregime.

Both functional and isolation training exercises are accomplished in amultitude of ways such as by using body weight, free weights, exercisemachines and so on. When exercise machines are involved, they aregenerally designed such that a single primary set of muscles(mobilizers) are used to actuate the resistance during each repetition.These ‘primary mover’ muscles generally involve either the upper body orlower body muscles. With movements that involve more than one region ofthe body as with functional exercises, the resistance provided to the‘primary movers’ also acts as the workload for other regions of thebody. There is therefore, a sharing of the weight by the other regionsof the body during exercise. It is not possible, in the case offunctional training, to provide customized workload that targets theupper and lower body independently during exercise. An advantage of thisfeature would be, for example, in the case of many women who wish toutilize a greater workload on the legs than with arms so that they cantarget their problem areas and not build a heavy upper body, yet use asufficient overall workload that would allow them to burn a maximumamount of calories during the workout.

Today the majority of participants are not as interested in buildingmuscle bulk or weight gain but on burning calories, improving theircardiovascular system and developing lean muscle mass in the mostefficient manner. The applicant has appreciated that the simultaneoususe of multiple regions of the body during each repetition using safebiomechanical movements would allow the body to lift greater overallweight in the same period of time, consequently burning more caloriesand developing lean muscle mass as compared with either functional orisolation training. Furthermore, the benefits from Peripheral HeartAction (PHA), a condition that requires the heart to work harder, as itpumps blood to extremities at opposite ends of the body during upper andlower body simultaneous exercises, may also be utilized. As the heartworks harder during PHA, the cardiovascular system is exercised and agreater number of calories are burned. Furthermore, total body exercisesallow for a better fatigue management system and encourage muscleendurance exercises that develop lean muscle mass.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to improve on the isolation andfunctional methods of resistance training by providing a new machine andmethod of exercise which is effective to optimally burn calories anddevelop lean muscle mass in the least amount of time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a resistancetraining machine that allows for proper support and biomechanicalpositioning of the body during exercise, such that high intensitysimultaneous or sequential resistance training exercises of the user'supper and lower body muscles can be performed with minimal chance ofinjury.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a machine thatallows for natural and rhythmic total body movements, such that userscan exercise both upper body and lower body muscle groups with workloadshigher than with functional or isolation exercises, with minimal changein perceived exertion or perceived effort.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an exerciseapparatus for effecting simultaneous arm and leg muscle group exercises,and which is operable to permit independent resistance to the upper andlower body during total body movements to produce one or more benefitssuch as customized workouts, core use, coordination of muscles, andPeripheral Heart Action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary or standalonecommercial grade exercise machine that allows for simultaneous upper andlower body exercises during use, thereby encouraging the user toexercise more intently and effectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exercise machine thatmore closely utilizes the total body during exercises thereby allowingfor a better fatigue management system and encouraging muscle enduranceexercises that develop lean muscle mass.

A further object of the invention is to provide an exercise apparatuswhich is adapted for the simultaneous or sequential rhythmic exercise ofa user's arms and leg muscle groups, and which includes as part of alower body exercising assembly, a movable lower frame member which isengageable by the user's feet in a unified movement to effect legexercises, such as full or partial leg presses or double leg lunges.

In a simplified construction, the present invention provides an exerciseapparatus which includes a bench or seat to support a user in a positionreclined thereon, an upper body exercising assembly which is actuable toperform arm exercises, and a lower body exercise assembly which isactuable by the user to perform leg exercises. The seat includes a seatback support which is configured to support the user's spine in contactthereagainst. Preferably, the seat back is inclined vertical at an angleselected at between about 10° and 60°, preferably at between about 40°and 60°, and most preferably at an angle of between 30° to 50°, tosupport the user's torso and spine in a similarly partially inclinedposition in an exercising position thereon.

The upper and lower body exercising assemblies are configured foractivation simultaneously and/or sequentially to permit the user toeffect exercising movement of his or her upper body muscle and lowerbody leg muscles, respectively without necessitating that the user stopexercising or manually reposition pins, pulleys, belts or the like whenswitching from upper body exercises to lower body exercises. Surprising,simultaneous exercise further advantageously allows the user to liftgreater overall weight by utilizing concurrently not only arm and legmuscle groups, but also the user's abdominal or core muscles. For thesame number of repetitions, a user may thus lift more weight, withlittle change in perceived exertion allowing more effective calorieburning and the more rapid development of lean muscle mass.

In one possible construction, the lower body exercising assemblyincludes a lower frame assembly which is operable to provide resistanceexercise to the user's leg muscles. The lower frame assembly may, forexample, include a selectively reciprocally movable pedal, plate,platform, bar or the like (hereinafter generally referred to as a footsupport). The foot support is coupled to a suitable resistancemechanism, and which is engageable by the user's feet so as to bereciprocally moved. Preferably, the foot support is configured forengagement by both of the user's feet simultaneously as the user's legsare moved together in unified movement to effect either leg presses ordouble leg lunges.

Most preferably, the foot support is mounted for reciprocal movementrelative to the seat back between a first rest position spaced towardsthe seat, and a second position moved away from the seat back relativeto the first rest position. Preferably, the seat and lower frameassembly are provided with a relative spacing and height selection whichis chosen, such that in the first rest position, the foot supportengaged by the user's feet, with the user's legs bent at the knee andhips, the user's shins in general alignment ±45°, preferably ±25°, andmost preferably ±15° with the angle of inclination of the back supportand the user's torso. More preferably, as the foot support is moved tothe second position in leg exercises, the foot support moves downwardlyand optionally outwardly relative to the seat. Most preferably, the footsupport moves along an arc or path of movement selected such that theuser's shins are substantially maintained generally aligned with therelative angle (±) of inclination of the back support, as the user'slegs are extended and retracted with the reciprocal movement of the footsupport during leg exercises. In this configuration, the resistiveforces provided by the lower body exercising assembly on the user's bodyare maintained in general alignment with the angle of inclination of theseat back and the user's spine. This advantageously acts to direct forcevectors along the user's torso and through the core muscles, whileminimizing pressure contact between the base of the user's spine and theseat back.

The upper body exercising assembly is preferably selectively actuable bythe user extending and/or retracting his or her arms. In one possibleconstruction, the upper body exercising assembly includes one or morereciprocally movable frame members or swing arms which are coupled to aresistance mechanism, and which are engageable by the user's handsand/or arms. Alternately, the apparatus could incorporate selectivelyactuable hand pulleys which include hand grips secured to the end ofpulley wires. Most preferably, the reciprocally movable frame member,swing arm, or pulleys (hereinafter generally reciprocally movablemembers) are actuable in movement so as to provide resistance forcesagainst the movement of the user's arms in directions tangential oropposite to the downward sloping direction of inclination of the seatback. The upper body exercise assembly may be constructed to effect avariety of upper body or arm exercises including chest presses, rowing,upright rowing, bicep curls, tricep extensions, shoulder presses,pectoral flys and lateral raises. In particular, in a most preferredconstruction, the reciprocally moveable members of the upper bodyexercising apparatus are moveable against a resistance load by theengagement with the user's arms and/or hands from an initial restposition to a displaced position in a direction selected at betweenabout 70° and 315°, and preferably greater than 80° to about 280° andmost preferably about 90° to about 270° relative to the downwardinclination direction of the seat back. The applicant has appreciatedthat in so limiting the direction of movement of the arm members againstthe resistance load, the user's arms and legs may be simultaneouslymoved against resistance forces to provide a faster, more efficienttotal body workout. Further, as the opposing resistance force vectorsprovided by the respective upper and lower body resistance mechanismsare thus either substantially tangential or opposed to each other, thenon-alignment of the resistance force vectors provided by the upper andlower body exercising assemblies advantageously prevents the compoundinglift forces on the user's body during simultaneous upper and lower bodyexercises better enabling the user to maintain an optimum body positionagainst the apparatus seat and/or seat back.

In one simplified construction, the reciprocally movable members of theupper body exercising assembly are operable to move from the initialrest to the displaced position in a direction generally perpendicular±15° to the surface of the seat back. In this configuration, resistiveforces provided by the upper body exercising assembly are maintainedsubstantially non-aligned and preferably substantially normal to theforces provided by the lower body exercise assembly. This in turn allowsthe user to select comparatively higher leg weights or resistance, andstill simultaneously effect upper and lower body exercises, without armresistance providing a contributing “lift” force in the upward slopingdirection of seat back inclination on the user.

The resistance mechanisms used to provide the desired degree ofresistance to the upper and lower exercising assemblies are mostpreferably operable independently from each other, and enable the userto select the degree of resistance to each of the upper and lower bodyexercising assemblies separately. With this construction, the desireddegree of resistance for leg exercises may be pre-selected by the user,independently from the resistance to be used for toning upper bodyexercise. This furthermore advantageously allows the user to operate theupper and lower body exercising assemblies both simultaneously to effectthe concurrent resistance exercise of his or her arm and leg musclegroups or alternately sequentially or independently to provide a morevaried and customized workout and greater apparatus versatility.

Suitable resistance mechanisms to be used with the present inventioninclude arrays of one or more resiliently bendable rods, resilientlydeformable elastomeric bands, weight stacks, or other such suitabledevices, and which would be suitable to permit either the alternatingsequential and/or simultaneous exercising of upper and lower body musclegroups, including without restriction, the user's leg, back, abdominaland/or arm muscles. In a simplified construction, the apparatusincorporates a weight stack assembly as a resistance mechanism whichincludes a number of vertically displaceable metal plates. The weightstack assembly is coupled to both the lower body exercising assembly andthe upper body exercising assembly, such that different groupings ofweight plates may be pre-selected by the user for upper and lower bodyexercise. Following the selection of the desired amount of resistance,the upper and lower frame assemblies are concurrently or sequentiallyactuated, to raise and lower the selected plates as the user performsarm and leg exercises. In one possible embodiment, the weight stackassembly may include at least two independently operable weight stackswhich operate by way of lift rods, and which are each independentlycoupled by a respective cable/pulley assembly to the upper bodyexercising assembly and the lower body exercising assembly, provide theuser-selected desired degree of resistance. This constructionadvantageously enables the user to quickly and easily lift differentcombinations of weight plates in the simultaneous exercising ofdifferent muscle groups, without requiring the repositioning of weightstack release pins interrupting the flow of repetitions during a set orbetween sets.

The lift rods extend vertically through an associated array of alignedapertures formed through the weight plates. The upper end of the liftrods is coupled via respective cable/pulley assembly or other suitablelinkage to movable frame members of the exercise apparatus used toprovide exercise movement to the user's arms and legs. In this manner,the activation of the exercise apparatus frame members selectivelyraises and lowers the lift rod associated therewith, providing resistivetension. Each weight stack preferably includes one or more release pinsused in selecting the weight of resistance to be provided. The pins areinsertable into selected grooves, notches or recesses formed in asurface of each weight plate, and have a length chosen so as to extendinto and engage a selected retention hole formed in the lift rod alignedtherewith. The engagement of the release pins with the associated liftrod hole couples the pin, together with each of the weight platesstacked there above, to its associated lift rod for movement therewith.

The applicant has appreciated that concurrent resistance exercise ofboth upper arm and lower leg muscle groups advantageously also effectstoning exercise of the user's bridging abdominal muscles. Abdominalmuscle exercises are furthermore enhanced and optimized when the lowerbody leg muscles are exercised by effecting double leg lunges or legpresses, with the user's legs moved together in unified movement.

The applicant has appreciated that the invention is operable to providetoning exercises, as contrasted with isolation weight training exerciseswhich are used primarily to increase muscular bulk. In this regard, inone aspect, the individual weight stacks used to provide resistance maybe made comparatively lighter than those found on conventional exercisemachines adapted to achieve isolated muscle exercise. Most preferably,the weight stack assembly is configured to provide a greater weightresistance to the lower body exercising assembly which is actuable bythe user's legs, than compared with the weight resistance provided tothe upper body exercising assembly used to provide arm exercise. In apreferred embodiment, the individual weight stack used to provideresistance to a lower frame assembly may be selected to provide a rangeof resistance forces of less than about 300 lbs, preferably less thanabout 250 lbs, and more preferably less than about 200 lbs. Similarly,the weight stack used to provide resistance to the upper body exercisingassembly for upper body exercise, may be made comparatively smaller andprovide a preferred maximum resistance force of less than about 250 lbs,and more preferably about less than a maximum of 150 lbs. Thecomparatively smaller weight stacks of the present invention furthermoreadvantageously enable the exercise apparatus to be made lighter as astand-alone unitary machine and smaller than conventional isolationexercising equipment, thereby providing the apparatus with an overallsmaller footprint, and minimizing the square footage operational cost tohealth club purchasers.

The invention is operable by a user to undertake a full body toningworkout by either simultaneously exercising both upper and lower bodymuscle groups or by alternating upper and lower body exercises. In amost preferred mode of operation, in use, the user initially pre-selectsthe desired resistance forces to be used with both the upper bodyexercising assembly and the lower body exercising assembly. Once thedesired resistance is chosen, the user sits on the bench or seat andreclines against the seat back in an exercise position with his or herspine supported by the seat back at the seat back angle of inclination.In this position, the upper body exercising assembly is engaged by theuser's hands or arms, with the movable foot support of the lower bodyexercising assembly engaged by his or her feet and/or legs. The footsupport of movable lower body frame member is reciprocally moved betweenthe first rest position to the second spaced position against thepre-selected resistance of the first weight stack. Leg exercises areperformed by the user performing double leg lunges or leg presses withthe user's legs extended and retracted together in unison, and with theresistance forces of the resistance mechanism returning the foot supportfrom the second position back to the rest position while directing forcevectors generally parallel to the user's torso.

Concurrently with the movement of the lower body exercising frame, theupper body exercising apparatus is preferably actuated. The reciprocallymoveable members of the upper body exercise apparatus are moved by theuser's arms and/or hands against the resistance forces of the secondweight stack between the initial rest position and the displacedposition to exercise the user's arm and/or torso muscles. As therespective lower frame and upper body frames are used simultaneously toexercise the user's arms and legs, the simultaneous exercising of upperand lower body muscle groups enables the user to undertake a more fullbody toning workout. Furthermore, because the leg muscles are notexercised in isolation, but rather, resistance forces are transmitted inparallel to the user's spine and through the torso. The concurrentactivation of the upper and lower body frame members achieves exerciseof not only the user's arm and leg muscles in isolation, but also theuser's bridging abdominal and back muscles. Furthermore, since the legsare not extended substantially perpendicularly relative to the backrest,compressive forces to the base of the spine which are enhanced due tothe upper body work load are minimized, reducing the likelihood ofinjury.

Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention resides in the use ofan exercise apparatus to effect simultaneous upper and lower bodystrengthening in a user, the apparatus comprising, a seat having a seatback support for supporting said user in an exercising position withsaid user's spine juxtaposed thereon, the back support being inclinedfrom vertical at a downwardly sloping angle selected at between about10° and 60°, a lower frame assembly including a foot support actuable inmovement by the extension and retraction of said user's legs, the footsupport being movable along a first path of movement from a first raisedposition to a second lowered position, a first resistance mechanismcoupled to the lower frame assembly and operable to selectively varyresistance to foot support movement, an arm exercising assembly actuableto exercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercising position,the arm exercising assembly including at least one reciprocally movablemember which is selectively movable by said user's hands or arms along asecond path of movement from an initial rest position to a displacedposition moved therefrom, the second path of movement extendinggenerally in a direction oriented at between about 80° and 280° relativeto the downward inclination of said seat back, a second resistancemechanism coupled to said arm exercising assembly and operable to varyresistance to movement of said arm exercising assembly independentlyfrom said first resistance mechanism, wherein with said user in saidexercising position, simultaneously actuating said lower frame assemblyand said arm exercise assembly to effect simultaneous upper and lowerbody exercise, whereby ,the exercising position comprises positioningthe seat with said back support inclined from vertical such that theuser can reach the lower frame assembly with said user's feet engagingsaid foot support while said user's hands engage said arm exercisingassembly, in actuation of said lower frame assembly, said user engagessaid foot support with his or her feet to alternately extend and retractsaid user's legs together in unison in leg press-type exercises to movesaid foot support between the first raised and second lowered positions,and whereby in movement of the foot support from the first raisedposition to the second lowered position, the lower frame assemblymaintains an orientation of the user's shins in a position generallyparallel ±45° to the angle of inclination of the seat back, and as saiduser's legs are extended, the user simultaneously urges saidreciprocally movable member with said user's arms from said initial restposition towards said displaced position.

More preferably, in the aforementioned use, the arm exercising assemblyis selected from either a chest press assembly, upright row assembly, abicep curl assembly, a tricep extension assembly, a shoulder pressassembly, pectoral fly assembly or a lateral raise assembly.

In simultaneous exercise of upper and lower body regions, the downwardmovement of the user's legs relative to his or her spine is mostadvantageous. In particular, such downward movement, moving away fromthe torso, reduces strain on the lower back when upper/lower bodyexercises are simultaneously performed.

In another aspect, the present invention resides in the use of anexercise apparatus to effect muscle strengthening and toning in a user,the apparatus comprising, a seat having a seat back support forsupporting said user's spine in an exercising position thereagainst, theback support being fixedly positioned inclined in a downwardly slopingdirection from vertical at an angle selected at between about 10° and60°, a lower frame assembly actuable by said user to effect leg muscleexercises, the lower frame assembly including a foot support which isreciprocally movable relative to the seat between a first position,wherein said foot support is engagable by said user's feet with saiduser's legs bent and the user's shins in general alignment +45° with theangle of inclination back support, and a second position moveddownwardly away from the seat, wherein said foot support is engagable bysaid user's feet with said legs in a generally outstretched positionwhile maintaining the user's shins in general alignment ±35° with theangle of inclination of the back support, a first resistance mechanismcoupled to the lower frame assembly and operable to provide a userselected resistance to foot support movement, an arm exercising assemblyactuable to exercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercisingposition, the arm exercising assembly including a reciprocally movablemember which is selectively movable by said user's hands and/or armsfrom an initial rest position and a displaced position moved therefromin a direction oriented at between about 80° to about 280° relative tothe downward sloping direction of the back support, a second resistancemechanism coupled to said arm exercising assembly and operable toprovide a user selected resistance to movement of said reciprocallymovable member independent from said first resistance mechanism, whereinin use of the apparatus, the exercising position comprising providingthe seat with the seat back support inclined from vertical in a positionwhereby the foot support is engagable by said user's feet while saiduser's hands or arms engaging said arm exercising assembly, said usersimultaneously activates said lower frame assembly and said arm exerciseassembly whereby, in actuation of said lower frame assembly, said userengages said foot support with both of his or her feet to alternatelyextend and retract said user's legs together in unison in leg exercisesto move said foot support between the first position and the secondposition, and with or immediately following each extension andretraction of said user's legs, said user moves said hands and/or armsto reciprocally move said reciprocally movable member against theresistance of the second resistance mechanism from said initial restposition to said displaced position.

In a further aspect, the present invention resides in a use of anexercise apparatus to effect simultaneous arm, leg and core muscle groupexercises in a user, the apparatus comprising, a seat having a seat backsupport for supporting said user's spine in an exercising position, theback support being oriented in a downward inclined first directionrelative to vertical at an angle selected at between about 25° and 50°,a lower frame assembly actuable by said user to effect leg muscleexercises, the lower frame assembly including a foot pedal which isengagable by the soles of said user's feet in reciprocal movementrelative to the seat between a first rest position to a second positionmoved downwardly therefrom, a first resistance mechanism coupled to thelower frame assembly to provide a selected resistance to foot supportmovement towards the second position, an arm exercising assemblyactuable to exercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercisingposition, the arm exercising assembly including a reciprocally movablemember which is selectively movable by said user's hands and/or armsbetween an initial rest position and a displaced position movedtherefrom in a second direction oriented at between 80° and 280°relative to the first direction, and a second resistance mechanismcoupled to said arm exercising assembly to provide a selected resistanceto the movement of reciprocally movable member towards the displacedposition independent of said first resistance mechanism, wherebypositioning the apparatus to support the user in the exercising positionwith said user's spine is in juxtaposed contact with said seat backinclined relative to vertical whereby said user's feet concurrentlyengage said foot pedal while said user's hands and/or arms engaging saidarm exercising assembly, actuating said lower frame assembly, wherebysaid user engages said foot pedal with the soles of both of his or herfeet, and symmetrically extends and retracts said legs in unison in legexercises to move said foot support between the first and secondpositions, with the first resistance mechanism and foot supportproviding a resistance leg force to said user's legs in a direction +35°the direction of inclination of the seat back, and said usersubstantially simultaneously moves said reciprocally movable member fromsaid initial rest position to said displaced position, with the secondresistance mechanism and reciprocally movable member providing aresistance arm force to said user's hands and/or arms in a directiongenerally opposite to the second direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference may now be had to the following detailed description takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a stand-alone exercise machine in accordancewith a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B shows schematically the positioning of a user's legs onthe apparatus of FIG. 1, with the user's legs moved to a first initialrest position;

FIG. 3 shows schematically the positioning of the user's legs and armson the exercise machine of FIG. 1 in operation;

FIG. 4 illustrates a weight stack assembly for use in the apparatus ofFIG. 1, with weight stacks for upper and lower body exercise assembliesin an initial rest position;

FIG. 5 illustrates the weight stack assembly of FIG. 4 in operation ofthe apparatus, with weight stacks moved in the concurrent operation ofthe upper and lower body exercise assemblies in unison;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an exercise apparatus inaccordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows schematically the positioning of a user on the exerciseapparatus of FIG. 6 in operation; and

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an exercise apparatus in accordancewith a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is first made to FIG. 1 which illustrates schematically anexercise machine 10 which, as will be described, is operable to effectsimultaneous toning exercise movement of a user's 12 upper, lower andabdominal muscle groups. The exercise machine 10 is provided with aseating/support frame assembly 14, a lower body exercising assembly 16,an upper body exercising assembly 18, a weight stack assembly 20 and apair of cable/pulley assemblies 22,24.

The seating/support frame assembly 14 is shown best in FIG. 1 asincluding a base 30 and a seat 32. The base 30 is formed as a squaretubular steel frame and has mounted thereto each of the lower bodyexercise assembly 16, the upper body exercising assembly 18, the weightstack assembly 20 and the cable/pulley assemblies 22,24. The base 30 hasa footprint selected to provide stability to the machine 10 as a unitarystand-alone unit in a health club or the like. The seat 32 is providedto support the user 12 in a seat in a partially reclined exercisingposition thereon, in a position which allows the user 12 to sequentiallyand most preferably simultaneously actuate both the lower bodyexercising assembly 16 and the upper body exercising assembly 18. Theseat 32 includes a back support 80 for use in supporting the user 12with his spine resting thereagainst in juxtaposed contact. The backsupport 80 is inclined from the vertical axis A_(v)-A_(v) (FIG. 2A), ata downwardly sloping angle a of between about 10° and 60°; preferably30° to 50°, and most preferably about 45° to support the user's torsoand spine in a corresponding partially reclined position during use ofthe machine 10. Although not essential, the seat 32 is most preferablycoupled to the base 30 by means of a pair of vertical seat supports 34,so as to be pivotable in a front-to-back direction, about a horizontalpivot axis, so as to permit adjustment in the degree of inclination ofthe seat back 80.

FIG. 1 shows best the lower body exercising assembly 16 as including areciprocally movable foot support 40 which is engagable by the soles ofthe user's feet 13. The foot support 40 is mounted for reciprocalpivoting movement towards and away from the seat 32. More preferably,the foot support 40 is mounted to the base 30 forwardly from the seat32, by means of a vertically extending connecting support 43 which inturn is welded to the lower base 30 of the machine 10. The foot support40 is coupled to the connecting support 43 by a suitable rotatable mount(not shown). The foot support 40 is furthermore coupled to the weightstack assembly 20 via the cable/pulley assembly 22. The foot support 40is configured to be reciprocally moved against the resistance forcesapplied by the weight stack assembly 20 by the extension and retractionof the user's legs 102 (FIG. 1). In this manner, the foot support ismovable between a first rest position spaced upwardly and moved towardsthe seat 32 shown in FIG. 1 in phantom lines, and a second biasedposition shown in solid lines where the support 40 is moved downwardlyand away from the seat 32 as the user's legs 102 are extended downwardlytowards an orientation more aligned with the user's spine in partial legpress or double leg lunge type exercise. In a conventional manner, theresilient bias applied by the weight stack assembly 20, returns the footsupport 40 to the rest position against the exercise forces applied bythe user's legs 102.

The applicant has appreciated that the leg press or double leg lungerange of motion during simultaneously upper body and lower body workoutis preferably modified from that of traditional leg press exercisessince there is a need to consider the added strain on the user's corearea, and particularly the lower back, during concurrent upper and lowerbody exercise. Traditional leg presses use a range of motion that allowsfor both the extension of the leg at the knee in a direction generallylateral to the seat; as well as rotation at the hip joint so that allmajor muscles of the legs are utilized (i.e. glutes, hamstrings, quads,and hip flexors). This range of motion is possible since the upper bodyis stabilized, as for example, by the user holding onto fixed handlegrips during leg exercise. During simultaneous exercises however, theupper body is not stabilized, but is instead utilized during exercise.As such, there is preferably less lateral extension of the legs at theknee and greater rotation at the hip joint as compared to traditionalleg presses. This advantageously relieves the strain on the lower backduring exercise and also increasingly utilizes the user's hip flexors,glutes and the core muscles as the feet, most preferably, move from araised position to a lowered position during the leg extension. Also bythis method there is less reliance on the weaker muscles surrounding theknee. To at least partially achieve the optimum leg positioning duringeach extension most preferably, the foot support 40 is positioned sothat when engaged by the user's feet 13 in the first rest position theuser's legs are bent at the knee and hips, both with the user's shins104 oriented in general alignment +35° and preferably +20° with both theorientation of the user's spine and the back support 80.

As shown in FIG. 2A, with the user's shins 104 generally aligned withthe user's torso, initial resistance force provided by the foot support40 (FIG. 1) is directed generally aligned with the shins 104. Mostpreferably, the foot support 40 is provided for pivotal movementrelative to the seat 32 and frame 30, so that as the support 40 is movedagainst the resistance of the weight stack assembly 20 along a path ofmovement between the first and second positions, the user's shins 104are generally maintained in substantial alignment ±35°, preferably +25°and more preferably ±15°, with the angle of inclination a (FIG. 2A) ofthe seat back 80. As shown best in FIG. 3, the applicant has appreciatedthat with this construction, the resistance force provided by the weightstack assembly 20 and the lower body exercising assembly 16 on theuser's legs 102 are oriented along a force vector direction 100 (FIG. 3)which is generally parallel to the user's spine/seat back 80. Thisadvantageously acts to minimize pressure contact between the base of theuser's spine or lumbar, and the seat back 80. As a result, leg exerciseforces are transmitted through the user's abdominal or core musclesachieving more enhanced mid-body exercise and reducing the chance ofinjury.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show best the use of the upper body exercising assembly 18to provide toning body exercise to the user's arms 106 and upper bodymuscle groups. The upper body exercising assembly 18 includes avertically displaceable frame member 50 which is secured to a membersupport 52. The support 52 extends from a position rearward of the seat32, to position the frame member 50 in front of and above the user 12when seated thereon. The displaceable frame member 50 is actuable toallow the user 12 to effect chest presses, and is provided with a pairof handle grips 56 which are spaced forwardly of and may be grasped bythe user 12 when seated in the exercising position inclined on the seat32. The frame member 50 is pivotally connected to the support 52 by wayof a suitable pivot mount 54, so as to be movable from an initial restposition shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1 to a biased displaced positionshown in solid lines. The frame member 50 is most preferably operable toprovide resistance forces which are against the movement of the user'sarms in directions generally transverse or opposite to the downwardsloping direction of inclination of the seat back 80. In thisconfiguration, the upper body exercising assembly 18 may be used withoutresistance forces provided by frame member 50 tending to raise or pullthe user 12 upwardly off of the seat 32 and along the seat back 80.

As shown schematically in FIG. 3 in a chest press exercise thereciprocally movable frame member 50 is movable from an initial restposition P_(R) to a finish position P_(D) displaced in a directionoriented transverse to the direction of inclination of the seat back 80.More preferably, the reciprocally movable member 50 is displaceable in adirection which is generally perpendicular ±10° to the seat back 80. Theapplicant has appreciated that in this configuration, the use of theupper body exercising assembly 18 provides resistance force vector 200(FIG. 3) generally transverse to both the orientation of the seat back80 and the force vector 100 provided by the lower body exercisingassembly 16.

As will be described, displaceable frame member 50 is coupled to theweight stack assembly 20 via cable/pulley assembly 24, so as to bemovable between the rest and displaced positions against resistanceforces supplied thereby. Preferably, the resistance forces supplied bythe weight stack assembly 20 acts to resiliently bias the frame member50 to return to the rest position.

It is to be appreciated however that while an exercising assembly 18 foreffecting chest presses in shown, the upper body exercising assembly 18could also be modified to include a handle or frame members whichfunction as a different upper body exercise assembly, including anupright row assembly, a bicep curl assembly, a tricep extensionassembly, a shoulder press assembly, a pectoral fly assembly or alateral raise assembly. Preferably, the frame member is reciprocallymovable between the initial rest and displaced positions with the weightstack assembly 20 providing resistance force vector V_(R) ,thereagainstoriented at angle β (FIG. 2A) of between 80° and 280°, and preferably90° to 270° relative to the inclination of the seat back 80. In thisregard, as shown best in FIG. 2B the reciprocally movable member 50 ismovable against the resistance forces of the weight stack from the restto displaced positions P_(R), P_(D) across a range of directionsextending at between about 80° and 280° relative to the direction ofdownward slope of the seat back 80. Depending on the final configurationof the upper body exercising assembly 18 which is selected, thereciprocally movable member could be movable from the initial rest tothe displaced position in directions oriented at upto 280° andpreferably about 270° relative to the direction of the seat back.

The weight stack assembly 20 is configured to permit either thealternating sequential, or more preferably simultaneous concurrentoperation of the upper and lower body exercising assemblies 16,18. FIGS.4 and 5 show best the weight stack assembly 20 as including a pair ofindependently operable weight stacks 60 a,60 b. Each of the weightstacks 60 consists of a number of steel weight plates 62 which areslidably mounted for selective vertical movement along a respective pairof tubular frame rails 64. The tubular frame rails 64 of each weightstack 60 a,60 b are each coupled to the base 30, so as to provide theexercise machine 10 with its stand-alone construction. Preferably, theweight plates 62 furthermore have side apertures 65 formed therethroughwhich are sized to receive therein a respective one of the rails 64. Itis to be appreciated, however, that other configurations supporting theweight plates 62 as a selectively movable, stacked vertical array mayalso be used and will be apparent. The weight stacks 60 a,60 b are shownbest in FIG. 4 as each further including an elongated selectivelyactuable lift rod 66 a,66 b, which extends vertically through a centralaperture 68 formed in the centre of each of the weight plates 62 of eachstack 60 a,60 b. The lift rods 66 a,66 b have provided along theirlength a longitudinally extending array of apertures 70 (FIG. 5). In aconventional manner, the apertures 70 of each lift rod 66 a,66 b arerespectively engagable by a release pin 72 used to couple a desirednumber of plates 62 to each lift rod 66, depending upon the desiredweight of resistance. The lift rods 66 a and 66 b are in turn coupled toa respective cable/pulley assembly 22,24.

As shown best in FIG. 1, the lift rod 66 a of the weight plate stack 60a is connected via the cable/pulley assembly 22 to the foot support 40to resiliently bias and return the foot support 40 to the first restposition. In addition, the user 12 may simply and easily select thedesired degree of resistance forces to the movement of the foot support40 to be used. In a similar manner, the lift rod 66 b of the weightplate stack 60 b is connected to the vertically replaceable frame member50 by means of cable/pulley 24, to resiliently bias the frame member 50to the initial position. The apparatus 10 enables the user 12 to selectthe desired degree of resistance to the movement of the member 50independently from the amount of resistance provided by the weight stack60 a to the movement of the foot support 40, by using the pins 72 tocouple the desired number of weight plates 62 to each respective rod 66a,66 b.

In this manner, the weight stack 60 a is used to provide the selecteddegree of resistance forces to the movement of the foot support 40 inthe exercising movement of the user's legs 102. Similarly, the weightstack 60 b is operable independently of the weight stack 60 a to providea selected degree of resistance forces to the movement of verticallydisplaceable frame member 50 in use of the exercise machine 10 toexercise the user's arm and upper body muscles.

Because the exercise apparatus 10 is primarily intended for theconcurrent workout of upper body, lower body and core muscle groups, ascontrasted with isolation exercises adapted to increase muscular bulk,the weight stack assembly 20 may be made lighter and more compact thancompared with those found in conventional exercise machines which areadapted to provide isolated muscle exercise. In this regard, the weightstack 60 a used to provide resistance to the lower body exercisingassembly 16 is preferably larger than the weight stack 60 b. In asimplified construction, the weight stack 60 a includes a number ofweight plates 62 selected to provide a preferred maximum leg resistanceforce of less than 300 lbs., and more preferably less than about 250lbs. Similarly, the weight stack 60 b may be provided with a reducednumber of weight plates 62, providing a preferred maximum resistanceforce of less than about 200 lbs., and preferably less than about 150lbs. It is to be appreciated, however, that weight stacks of greater orlesser total weight may also be used, depending upon the needs of theindividual user.

In an alternate construction, wherein the back support 80 may be adaptedfor pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, so as to be movablebetween more upright and more reclined positions. Preferably, in use ofthe machine 10, the seat 32 may be either locked in place, oralternatively may be freely swiveled. In one possible mode of operation,the bottom of seat 32 may be swiveled downwardly to slope in a forwardposition when, in the simultaneous operation of the lower body exerciseassembly 16 and the upper body exercising assembly 18, the foot support40 is moved to the second biased position.

A locking mechanism (not shown) may also be provided to selectivelysecure the seat bottom in either the fully reclined and/or fully uprightposition, as for example during respective lower and upper body isolatedexercise.

An advantage of the present invention resides in that the machine 10 isoperable to maximize the user's ‘repetitions and/or total weight liftedper visit’ as compared to traditional isolation strength trainingmethods wherein users are encouraged to perform ‘continuous sets’, whererepetitions targeting various muscle groups are performed without rest,until muscles are fatigued. As such, the user 12 may obtain an effectiveworkout in a more time efficient manner. With the exercise machine 10,the flow of repetitions involving more than one muscle group, utilizinga resistance level for the upper body that may vary from the lower body,are not interrupted by the need to stop and reposition the pins 72 asexercises are performed. Furthermore, during exercise the user 12 mayvary patterns that involve the entire body. In addition, theconfiguration of the machine 10 allows for the mixing up of repetitionsby isolating, consecutive or simultaneous use of the lower bodyexercising assembly 16 and the upper body exercising assembly 18. This,in turn, makes the machine 10 more enjoyable and interactive, and lessmonotonous than conventional isolation exercises performed one stationat a time.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show schematically a preferred mode of operation of theexercise machine 10 by the user 12, in achieving an exercise workout. Toachieve optimal exercise of the user's abdominal muscle groupsconcurrently with his leg and arm muscles, the user 12 firstindependently selects the desired degree of weight resistance to beprovided by the weight stacks 60 a,60 b to each of the upper and lowerbody exercising assemblies 16,18. The desired degree of weightresistance is selected in a conventional manner, by inserting the pins72 of each weight stack 60 a,60 b into engagement with the desiredaperture 70 formed in each of the lift rods 66 a,66 b. The user 12 maysimply select a lower weight for providing the resistive tension to thecable/pulley arrangement 24 and upper body exercising assembly 16 of themachine 10, by inserting release pin 72 in the desired aperture 70 ofthe stack 60 b. A greater number of weight plates 62 may be used toprovide exercise resistance to the cable/pulley arrangement 22 in thelower body exercising assembly 18 by inserting release pin 72 intoengagement with the selected plate 62 of the stack 60 a. The user 12then assumes an exercising position seated on the seat 32, and reclinedwith the user's back resting against the back support 80. In thisposition, the user's torso assumes an orientation inclined at the anglea (FIG. 2) corresponding to the angle of inclination of the seat back80, in an initial forward facing position. The user then places his feetagainst the foot support 40, bending at the knees and hips, and aligningthe shins 104 with the seat back user's spine and seat back 80. In sucha position, the soles of the user's feet 13 are positioned in bearingcontact against the foot support 40, and the user 12 may reach forwardlyextending his arms 106 generally perpendicular to his torso to grasp thehandle grips 56 of the frame member 50 with his hands.

In use of the machine 10, the foot support 40 is operable so as to bemoved downwardly and outwardly to the second position by the engagementof the user's feet 13 against the foot support 40 as the legs 102 areextended or retracted in unison in partial leg press or leg lungeexercises. The outward downward movement of the foot support 40 as ittravels to the second position, advantageously provide a greater rangeof leg motion and allows the user's shin to maintain its generalalignment with the torso. Further, as the legs 102 are extended agreater range of motion occurs at this hip joint, resulting in betteruse of hip flexors, glutes and core muscles. Furthermore with the addedrange of motion of the lower body, less constriction of the upper bodyoccurs. This in turn allows the upper body to be exercised more freelywith greater effectiveness and comfort.

To effect an exercising workout, the user 12 extends both of his legs102 simultaneously moving the heels of the feet 13 with the support 40outwardly and downwardly from the initial rest position together inunison. The movement of the foot support is effected against theselected resistance force provided by the weight stack 60 a, as thecable/pulley 22 draws the rod 66 a upwardly to vertically raise theselected number of weight plates 62 of the stack 60 a. It is to beappreciated that the seat 32 is provided with a seating surface which isconfigured so as not to substantially interfere with the extension ofthe user's legs 102 with the moving foot support 40. In this regard, theseating surface of the seat 32 may be provided with either an inclinedand/or shortened configuration so as to permit the desired degree ofrotation of the user's legs about his hips.

Concurrently with the extension of the user's legs 102, the user 12 useshis arms 106 to push on the frame assembly 50 away from the seat back 80and the torso, effecting its movement from the initial rest position tothe biased position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. The movement of theframe member 50 towards the seat 32 occurs against the upper bodyresistance forces applied by the cable/pulley assembly 24 drawing therod 66 b upwardly, to raise the user selected number of weight plates 62of the weight stack 60 b. Once the foot support 40 and frame member 50reach their respective second and maximum displaced positions, the footsupport 40 and frame member 50 are then returned by the user 12providing resistance against the return forces of respective weightstacks 60 a,60 b to their initial rest positions, and the cycle is thenrepeated. The applicant has appreciated that the concurrent exercisingmovement of the user's arms 106 and legs 102, in addition tostrengthening the respective upper and lower muscle groups,advantageously also acts to exercise the user's bridging abdominalmuscles. As a result, the user may obtain a faster, full body toningworkout.

An advantage of the present machine 10 exists in that it enables thesimultaneous exercise on the single machine of both upper and lower bodymuscle groups while directing force vectors from the upper bodyexercising assembly 16 through the user's torso. As such, the exercisingmachine 10 advantageously functions more closely to provide freestanding-type exercising where the user's core muscles are activatedconcurrently with arm and leg exercising, and which is not possible withconventional strength training gym equipment. Furthermore, the use ofthe machine 10 permits the user 12 to engage his or her body musclesmore fully and permits either greater number of repetitions of exercisemovement or an increase in the overall weight lifted. As such, byexercising both upper and lower body muscle groups, the machine 10 mayadvantageously provide enhanced fat burning and/or more effective muscledevelopment.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a weightstack assembly 20 consisting of a pair of weight plate stacks 60 a,60 bas a preferred resistance mechanism, the invention is not so limited. Itis to be appreciated that other types of resistance mechanisms are alsoenvisioned, including resiliently deformable elastomeric members, aswell as resiliently deformable bendable rods, and will now becomeapparent. Similarly, although FIG. 1 illustrates an exercise machine 10having a vertically displaceable frame member 50 as being used toprovide upper body exercise, and a selectively rotatable foot support 40for lower body exercise, the invention is not so limited. In alternatepossible constructions the upper body exercising assembly 18 could bemodified to include a chest press assembly, a bicep curl assembly, atricep extension assembly, a shoulder press assembly, a pectoral flyassembly or a lateral raise assembly. FIG. 6 shows one alternateembodiment of an exercise machine 110 adapted for the simultaneousexercise movement of a user's upper and lower muscle groups, whereinlike reference numerals are used to identify like components. In FIG. 6the exercise machine 110 includes an array of bendable rods 160 in placeof the weight stack assembly for providing resistance to the upper andlower body exercising assemblies 16,18.

FIG. 6 shows best the machine 110 as including a seat 32 which isprovided in a fixed position partially inclined on the seating/supportframe 14. The seat 32 is provided in a fixed position with the seat back80 inclined so as to support the user 12 in a position seated thereonwith his or her spine inclined rearwardly at an angle of between about10° and 40° from vertical. The machine 110 incorporates a lower bodyexercising assembly 16 which includes a movable foot frame 144 which iscoupled for reciprocal pivotal movement to the base 30 in a generallydownward curving arc of movement by way of a pivot pin 142. As shownbest in FIG. 7, the foot frame 144 includes a generally planar footplate 144 which is sized and positioned so as to be simultaneouslyengaged by both of the user's feet in the performance of leg press-typeexercises, as the user's legs 102 are fully extended.

In place of the vertically displaceable frame member 50 (FIG. 1), theupper body exercising assembly 18 of the machine 110 includes a pair ofcable operated hand pulleys 150. The hand pulleys 150 are connecteddirectly to a selected number of bendable rods 160 via the cable/pulleyassembly 24, for use in effecting exercise movement of the user's arms104. The machine 110 provides the desired degree of resistance to themovement of the upper and lower body exercising assemblies 16,18 bycoupling or uncoupling a selected number of rods 160 to eachcable/pulley assembly 22,24. The rods 160 may, for example, beconfigured similar to those found on the Bowflex™ exercise machines andprovide resistance via the respective cable/pulley assemblies 22,24 tothe movement of the foot frame 140 and hand pulleys 150.

Although not essential, most preferably, each hand pulley 150 isassociated with a vertically positionable guide pulley 170 which isselectively positionable in a vertical direction relative to the seatback 80 to enable the user 12 to vary the angle of the force vectorprovided by the upper body exercising assembly 18. As for example asshown in FIG. 7, by lowering the pulleys 170 towards the bottom of theseat back 80, the upper body exercising assembly 18 is operable with theuser pulling the hand pulleys 150 more angularly upward. In thisconfiguration, the guides 170 act in concert with the rods 160 toprovide a resistance force vector 200 which is more generally oppositeto the force vector 100 provided by the actuation of the foot support40. The machine 110 may thus be used with higher resistive leg weightforces, with the upper body exercising assembly providing a counterforce to assist in maintaining in the user in an exercising position onthe seat 32. In use of the exercise machine 110, the user 12 pre-selectsthe desired amount of resistance to be applied to the foot frame 144 andhand pulleys 150. Resistance is selected by coupling a selected numberof bendable rods 160 to each cable/pulley assembly 22,24. The user 12then assumes the exercising position partially reclined against the seatback 80 as shown in FIG. 6.

With the user's feet resting against the foot frame 144, the user 12grips hand pulleys 150. Exercising movement is effective bysimultaneously performing leg presses against the foot frame 144 whilepulling each of the hand pulleys 150 forward in the direction of arrow400. The foot frame 144 and pulleys 150 are moved to the displacedbiased positions shown in FIG. 7, with the user's leg fully extendedforwardly in a generally straightened orientation, and his or her arms104 pulled forwardly of the user's abdomen. Thereafter, the user 12permits the foot frame 140 and hand pulleys 150 to return in the reversedirection to the rest position by the return bias of the bendable rods160, and the cycle is thereafter repeated.

By the use of the machine 110, the foot frame 144 is thus operable toexercise quadricep muscles of the user's right and left legs insubstantially unified movement and leg muscle exercise may be achievedconcurrently while the user 12 activates the hand pulleys 150 againstthe resistance of the rods 160 to exercise the upper and lower bodymuscles, as well as achieving exercising movement of the abdominalmuscles 106 as well. Simultaneously, with the user's feet engaging thefoot plate, the user extends his or her legs in unified movement to movethe foot frame 144 from the initial rest position to the seconddisplaced position against the resistance provided by the rods 160.

FIG. 8 shows schematically a modified exercise machine 110 in which likereference numerals are used to identify like components. In FIG. 8, theexercise machine 110 incorporates a weight stack assembly 20 similar tothat described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 as aresistance mechanism in place of the array of bendable rods 160. Withthe embodiment shown, individual weight stacks 60 a,60 b are coupledrespectively via the cable/pulley assemblies 22,24 to the foot frame 144and hand pulleys 150 to provide the desired degree of resistance.

The weight stack assembly 20 of FIG. 8 similarly enables the user 12 tosit at the exercise machine 110 and alternately and/or sequentiallyperform arm and leg exercises. In an alternate possible mode of use, theuser 12 may choose to repeatedly alternate leg and arm exercises formuscle endurance training, without having to interrupt the flow byhaving to reposition the pins 72.

The applicant has appreciated that the construction of the presentexercise machine and its method of use provide various advantages overconventional strength training apparatus. With the present invention,the user 12 utilizes his or her whole body by engaging the upper body,lower body and midsection muscles during exercise. With such upper bodyand lower body muscle exercise, the user 12 also exercises and utilizesthe user's back and abdominal muscles more often than traditionalequipment.

Although the detailed description describes and illustrates variouspreferred embodiments, the invention is not so limited. Manymodifications and variations will now occur to persons skilled in theart. For a definition of the invention, reference may be had to theappended claims.

We claim:
 1. An exercise apparatus operable to effect simultaneous upperand lower body strengthening in a user, the apparatus comprising, a seathaving a seat back support for supporting said user in an exercisingposition with said user's spine juxtaposed thereon, the seat backsupport being fixed or fixedly positionable in a downwardly slopingorientation, a lower frame assembly including a foot support actuable inmovement by the extension and retraction of said user's legs, the footsupport being movable along a first path of movement from a first raisedposition to a second lowered position, a first resistance mechanismcoupled to the lower frame assembly and operable to selectively varyresistance to foot support movement, an arm exercising assembly actuableto exercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercising position,the arm exercising assembly including at least one reciprocally movablemember which is selectively movable by said user's hands or arms along asecond path of movement from an initial rest position to a displacedposition moved therefrom, the second path of movement extendinggenerally in a direction oriented at between about 80° and 280° relativeto the downward inclination of said seat back, a second resistancemechanism coupled to said arm exercising assembly and operable to varyresistance to movement of said arm exercising assembly independentlyfrom said first resistance mechanism, wherein in said exercisingposition, said lower frame assembly and said arm exercise assembly beingsimultaneously operably by said user to effect simultaneous upper andlower body exercise, and, the seat is positioned with said back supportinclined from vertical such that the user can reach the lower frameassembly with said user's feet engaging said foot support while saiduser's hands or arms engage said arm exercising assembly, wherein saidlower frame assembly, being activatable by said user engaging said footsupport with his or her feet to alternately extend and retract saiduser's legs together in unison in leg press-type exercises to move saidfoot support between the first raised and second lowered positions. 2.The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said back support ispositioned inclined at an angle selected at between about 10° and 60°.3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein as said foot assembly ismoved to the lowered position, said lower frame assembly maintains saiduser's shins in said orientation in generally parallel ±25° to the angleof inclination of said back support.
 4. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 3, wherein each said reciprocally movable member moves from theinitial said rest position to said displaced position in a directionselected at between about 90° and 270° relative to the downwarddirection of inclination of the seat back.
 5. The apparatus as claimedin claim 4 further including positioning said first resistance mechanismto provide a pre-selected maximum leg resistance force selected at lessthan about 250 lbs, and positioning said second resistance mechanism toprovide a pre-selected maximum arm resistance force of less than about200 lbs.
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said armexercising assembly is selected from the group consisting of an outwardshoulder press exercise apparatus and a chest press exercise apparatus,and wherein said reciprocally member is movable by said user, along saidsecond path of movement, in a direction generally perpendicular ±10°relative to a direction of inclination of the seat back.
 7. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the exercise apparatus is a freestanding unitary exercise apparatus, said first resistance mechanismbeing adjustable by said user to pre-select a desired resistance to footsupport movement, and said second resistance mechanism be adjustable bysaid user to pre-select a desired resistance to said at least onereciprocally moveable member.
 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7wherein in actuation of said lower frame assembly, in said first restposition said foot support being spaced towards said seat and engaged bythe soles of both of said user's feet with said user's legs in apartially bent orientation, and in said second position said footsupport being moved vertically downwardly to a distal location andengaged by the soles of said user's feet with said user's legs in asubstantially fully extended orientation and said user's shins orientedgenerally parallel ±20° to the angle of inclination of the seat back. 9.An exercise apparatus to effect muscle strengthening and toning in auser, the apparatus comprising, a seat having a seat back support forsupporting said user's spine in an exercising position thereagainst, theback support being fixedly positioned inclined in a downwardly slopingdirection from vertical at an angle selected at between about 10° and60°, a lower frame assembly actuable by said user to effect leg muscleexercises, the lower frame assembly including a foot support which isreciprocally movable relative to the seat between a first position,wherein said foot support is engagable by said user's feet with saiduser's legs bent, and a second position moved away and downwardlyrelative to the seat, wherein said foot support is engagable by saiduser's feet with said legs in a generally outstretched position, a firstresistance mechanism coupled to the lower frame assembly and operable toprovide a user selected resistance to foot support movement, an armexercising assembly actuable to exercise arm muscles of said user whenin the exercising position, the arm exercising assembly including areciprocally movable member which is selectively movable by said user'shands and/or arms from an initial rest position and a displaced positionmoved therefrom in a direction. oriented at between about 80° to about280° relative to the downward sloping direction of the back support, asecond resistance mechanism coupled to said arm exercising assembly andoperable to provide a user selected resistance to movement of saidreciprocally movable member independent from said first resistancemechanism, and with the seat back support inclined from vertical in saidexercising position, the foot support being engagable by said user'sfeet, and said arm exercising assembly being engageably by said user'sarms or hands, whereby said user may simultaneously activate said lowerframe assembly and said arm exercise assembly.
 10. The exerciseapparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said reciprocal movable memberis movable from the rest to said displaced position substantiallysimultaneously with the extension of said user's legs, said firstresistance mechanism providing a range of resistance forces selectedless than a maximum of about 250 lbs, and said second resistancemechanism providing a range of resistance forces selected less than amaximum of about 150 lbs.
 11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10wherein said arm exercising assembly is selected from the groupconsisting of an outward shoulder press exercise apparatus and a chestpress exercise apparatus, and wherein said reciprocally movable membercomprises a rigid frame which is movable in a direction generallyperpendicular ±10° the angle of inclination of the back support.
 12. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein as the foot support is moveableby the user from the first position to the second position, saidreciprocal member being simultaneously movable by said user againstresistance of the second resistance mechanism from the initial restposition to the displaced position.
 13. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 12 wherein the lower frame assembly is actuatable by said user toeffect the exercise of quadricep muscles of said user's right and leftlegs in substantially unified movement, in said first position said footsupport being spaced towards and positioned vertically beneath said seatand engageably by the soles of said user's feet, and in said secondposition said foot support being pivoted to a distal location spaceddownwardly therefrom and engageable by the soles of said user's feetwith said user's legs in a substantially fully extended orientation andsaid user's shins oriented generally parallel ±25° to the angle ofinclination of the seat back.
 14. The exercise apparatus as claimed inclaim 9 wherein said exercise apparatus comprises a free standingunitary apparatus, said foot support being movable along a generallydownwardly curving arc as said lower frame assembly moves from saidfirst position towards said second position.
 15. An exercise apparatusoperable to effect simultaneous arm, leg and core muscle group exercisesin a user, the apparatus comprising, a seat having a seat back supportfor supporting said user's spine in an exercising position, the backsupport being oriented in a downward inclined first direction relativeto vertical at an angle selected at between about 10° and 60°, a lowerframe assembly actuable by said user to effect leg muscle exercises, thelower frame assembly including a foot pedal which is engagable by thesoles of said user's feet in reciprocal movement relative to the seatbetween a first rest position to a second position moved downwardlytherefrom, a first resistance mechanism coupled to the lower frameassembly to provide a selected resistance to foot support movementtowards the second position, an arm exercising assembly actuable toexercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercising position, thearm exercising assembly including a reciprocally movable member which isselectively movable by said user's hands and/or arms between an initialrest position and a displaced position moved therefrom in a seconddirection oriented at between 80° and 280° relative to the firstdirection, and a second resistance mechanism coupled to said armexercising assembly to provide a selected resistance to the movement ofreciprocally movable member towards the displaced position independentof said first resistance mechanism, whereby positioning the apparatus tosupport the user in the exercising position with said user's spine is injuxtaposed contact with said seat back inclined relative to verticalwhereby said user's feet concurrently engage said foot pedal while saiduser's hands and/or arms engaging said arm exercising assembly, wherebyengagement of said foot pedal with the soles of said user's feet, movessaid foot support between the first and second positions, with the firstresistance mechanism and foot support providing a resistance leg forceto said user's legs, said reciprocally movable member being movablesimultaneously with said foot pedal from said initial rest position tosaid displaced position by engagement with said user's hands and/orarms, and with the second resistance mechanism and reciprocally movablemember providing a resistance arm force to said user's hands and/or armsin a direction generally opposite to the second direction.
 16. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein a first pulley systemmechanically couples the first resistance mechanism to the lower frameassembly, and a second pulley system mechanically couples the secondresistance mechanism to the arm exercising assembly, wherein prior toactuating each of said lower frame assembly and said arm exercisingassembly, said first and second resistance mechanisms being selectivelyvariable by said user to pre-select desired leg and arm resistanceforces, and further wherein in the first rest position, the foot pedalbeing spaced a vertical distance below the seat, and in the secondposition the lower frame assembly orienting said user's shins in generalalignment +35° with the downward inclination of the seat back.
 17. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 15 further comprising fixedly securingsaid seat back inclined at an angle of between about 30° and 45° fromvertical, wherein in said first rest position, said user's feet engagesaid foot support with said user's legs bent and the user's shins ingeneral alignment ±25° with the angle of inclination back support; andin said second position said user's feet engage said foot support withsaid legs in a generally outstretched position while maintaining theuser's shins in general alignment ±25° with the angle of inclination ofthe back support.
 18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein thefoot support is actuable in movement by the extension and retraction ofsaid user's legs to exercise quadricep muscles of said user's right andleft legs in substantially unified movement, and wherein, in said firstrest position said foot support being spaced towards said seat at aproximal location selected to be engagable by said user's feet with saiduser's legs in a partially bent orientation, and in said second positionsaid foot support being pivoted to a distal location spaced downwardlytherefrom and engaged by said user's feet with said user's legs in asubstantially fully extended orientation.
 19. The apparatus as claimedin claim 16 wherein said first resistance mechanism and said lower frameassembly provide a resistance force to said user's legs in an opposingdirection generally parallel ±25°, to the direction of inclination angleof the seat back.
 20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein eachsaid second direction is oriented at between about 90° and 250° relativeto the first direction.